A Flea in Her Ear
By Georges Feydeau
Adapted by David Ives
Scenic Design
Pandemic Interrupted
Sera Shearer
At its core, this play is fun. It’s lighthearted, flirtatious, and lively, and truly embodies the idea of joie de vivre that was so popular during its period. To match the colorfulness of the text, it seemed only fitting that the set should be colorful and perhaps a bit silly.
More specifically, the art styles of the time were rich in color and movement, and veered further from the traditional realistic elements that preceded them.
To embody these, I strove to design a set that took inspiration from both the art and architecture of La Belle Epoque, utilizing color and style to differentiate between the two locations.
Concept Statement
Inspiration Image from La Belle Epoque
Poster Advertising Amants, a Comedy at the Theatre De La Renaissaince
Alphonse Mucha, 1896
Varied Architectural Styles
Impressionism
General Research
Art Nouveau
Fauvism
The entrance to Port Dauphin, Paris.
Hector Guimard, 1900.
Photo by Bellomonte via Wikimedia Commons.
Basilique du Sacre Coeurs
Julien Fromentin
Blue Dancers, 1890.
Edgar Degas
In the Woods.
Paul Cezanne, 1890.
The Turning Road.
Andre Derain, 1906.
Open Window, Collioure.
Henri Matisse, 1905.
Tiffany Lamp.
Photo from The Lamps of Tiffany Studios, William Fedlstein Jr & Alistair Duncan.
Emile Galle vase
Rene Lalique Jewelry.
The Chandebise Living Room
Additional Research
The Frisky Puss Hotel
French interior.
Alberto Pinto.
Charlottenburg Palace.
Photo by Molly Minton.
Mofakham Historical Monument, Birjand, Iran.
Fun City Pink Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Baron's Suite, Hotel Chateau du Grand Luce.
Woman With a Parasol
Claude Monet, 1875.
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran.
Interior, Flowers and Parakeets.
Henri Matisse, 1924.
Still from Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Photo by Martin Scali.
Rough Sketches
Chandebise Living Room
Frisky Puss Hotel
Chandebise Living Room
- Pastel color palette
- Inspiration from Rococo interiors and impressionist art
- Long, tall shapes and larger than life portraiture
Rough 3D model generated with Vectorworks 2019.
Use of digital model allowed for contact free communication of three dimensional space.
Digital rendering
The Frisky Puss Hotel
- Bright, somewhat garish colors
- Inspiration from Persian architecture and fauvism
- Heavier textures and more clutter
Rough 3D model generated with Vectorworks 2019
Use of digital model allowed for contact free communication of three dimensional space.
Digital rendering
Collaboration
Costumes
Lighting
- Coordination of color palettes
- Distinction of styles
- Use of practical lanterns
- White curtains as "cyc"
- Arrangement of scenic elements to allow directional sound
- Masking of onstage speakers
Sound
Process photo - painted arch drop
Process photo - lighting tech rehearsal
Process photo - lighting tech rehearsal
Production Team
Director: Valerie Rachelle
Stage Manager: Karina Lopez
Asst. Stage Managers: Gary Kemp, Anna Birch
Scenic Designer: Sera Shearer
Asst. Scenic Designer: Piper Bouldin
Technical Director: Maya Bowers
Assistant Technical Director: Dylan Rice
Scenic Charge Artist: Hannah Whorton
Costume Designer: Jordan Draper
Costume Shop Manager: Lydia Semler
Wig Master: Rebecca Ashby
Mask Charge: Kallie Andersen
Lighting Designer: Katelyn Westergard
Sound Designer: Connor Stevens
Props Master: Steve Mathews
Drafting
Please click on drafting page to view PDF of full drafting packet.
Resources
Bellomonte. The entrance to Port Dauphin, Paris. https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2013/08/07/iron-flowers-guimards-metro-entrances-paris-france/
Cezanne, Paul. In the Woods. 1890. https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Paul-Cezanne-In-the-Woods-Art-Print-Poster-Posters_i8833299_.htm?epik=dj0yJnU9R2hFc0ZkNHZ4aDZQcVlneGppcHNGVGVjUlJXQ3padTQmcD0wJm49RHE4RXpZbjhZVW5HbHpKZnl1T1VvdyZ0PUFBQUFBR0FXRjI4
Degas, Edgar. Blue Dancers. 1890. https://www.reproduction-gallery.com/oil-painting/1158621037/blue-dancers-c1890-by-edgar-degas/
Derain, Andre. The Turning Road. 1906. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/fauvism-7-things-you-need-to-know
Fromentin, Julien. Basilique du Sacre Coeurs. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/paris/attractions/basilique-du-sacre-coeur/a/poi-sig/372145/359279
Fun City Pink Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. https://vitalvegas.com/at-the-corner-of-seedy-and-charming-fun-citys-pink-motel/
Galle, Emile. Vase.
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/emile-galle-46042b6bce
Lalique, Renee. Jewelry. https://nasvete.com/rene-lalique-art-nouveau-jewellery/rene-lalique-art-nouveau-jewellery-8/
Matisse, Henri. Interior, Flowers and Parakeets. 1924. https://www.tretyakovgallerymagazine.com/articles/%E2%84%964-2013-41/cone-sisters-collectors-pleasure
Matisse, Henri. Open WIndow, Collioure. 1905. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/early-abstraction/fauvism-matisse/a/henri-matisse-open-window-collioure
Minton, Molly. Charlottenburg Palace. https://wanderingcarol.com/train-from-berlin-to-prague/
Mofakham Historical Monument, Birjand, Iran. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/382172718384331079/
Monet, Claude. Woman With a Parasol. 1875. https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.61379.html
Mucha, Alphonse.
Poster Advertising Amants, a Comedy at the Theatre De La Renaissaince. 1896 https://alphonsemuchapaintings.wordpress.com/Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran. https://www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/comments/gbt6dp/nasir_almulk_mosque_in_shiraziran/
Pinto, Alberto. French interior. http://www.thestylesaloniste.com/2017/05/juicy-reading-delicious-images-my-picks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+thestylesaloniste/pnaL+(the+style+saloniste)
Scali, Martin. Still from Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/grand-budapest-hotel-set-design-wes-anderson-slideshow
The Baron's Suite, Hotel Chateau du Grand Luce. https://chateaugrandluce.com/rooms-suites/barons-suite-one-bedroom-corner-king-suite-salon-petite-salon-library-private-entrance-garden-view/
Tiffany Lamp from The Lamps of Tiffany Studios (William Fedlstein Jr & Alistair Duncan). https://www.klinebooks.com/pages/books/35175/william-feldstein-jr-alastair-duncan/the-lamps-of-tiffany-studios
